Costa Cálida
Controversial Murcia judge gets disciplinary fine for homophobic statements
By m.p.
Mar 5, 2008 - 5:13 PM

The General Council for Judicial Power, the body which oversees the judiciary in Spain, has found the Murcia judge Fernando Ferrín Calamita guilty of a serious fault for comments he made in a ruling where he denied a lesbian woman custody of her two daughters in her divorce.

The court has fined the judge 600 € for infringing an article of the law on judicial power which deems it a serious fault to use expressions which are ‘unnecessary, inappropriate, extravagant, disrespectful or clearly offensive,’ and their decision follows a complaint placed last June by the woman concerned. The judge said in his ruling that a homosexual relationship could be damaging to the children, and ‘the mother will have to choose between her daughters or her new partner.’ He also equated homosexuality to being a paedophile, to drug addiction, prostitution and membership of a satanic sect.

Ferrín Calamita is currently under temporary suspension after the Murcia High Court of Justice agreed to admit a complaint by another lesbian woman who claimed he had maliciously delayed her application to adopt her partner’s biological daughter. He is also awaiting a disciplinary resolution from the CGPJ on that case, where he could face a 1,000 € fine for a serious fault.

The headquarters of the CGPJ. Photo - EFE.